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Print head and image forming apparatus including the same

a technology of image forming apparatus and print head, which is applied in the direction of electrographic process apparatus, printing, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of affecting the efficiency of laser scanning, and complicating the configuration of driving circuits, so as to improve light delivery efficiency

Active Publication Date: 2013-08-27
HEWLETT PACKARD DEV CO LP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The use of a liquid crystal polymer microlens array enhances light delivery efficiency, stabilizes the driving circuit, and reduces manufacturing costs by simplifying the optical structure, while maintaining image quality and reducing the risk of surge effects.

Problems solved by technology

However, the laser scanning unit requires a highly precise optical arrangement, and can be very expensive.
However, this complicates the configuration of a driving circuitries.
Further, if the current consumption changes suddenly according to the input image signal, such as when white lines are scanned immediately after black lines had been scanned, a surge effect may be generated, and thus the driving circuit may become damaged.
Since the print head uses a SELFOC lens array and a prism for securing an optical path and for focusing, the mechanical and optical structures of the print head are complicated.
Also, since a SELFOC lens is very expensive, the manufacturing costs of the print head thus also increase.

Method used

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  • Print head and image forming apparatus including the same
  • Print head and image forming apparatus including the same
  • Print head and image forming apparatus including the same

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Embodiment Construction

[0034]Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure where a print head 15 is disposed in proximity of a photoconductor 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The print head 15 includes an illumination unit 10, which emits light, and an optical shutter unit 20, which forms a latent image on the photoconductor 50 by selectively irradiating the light emitted from the illumination unit 10 on the pixels of the photoconductor 50.

[0036]The illumination unit 10 may include a monochromatic single chip surface light source or single linear light source. Examples of the single chip surface light source include a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), inorganic electroluminescence (EL), and organic EL. The single linear light source includes a white light source, e.g., such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), a xenon lamp, or the l...

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Abstract

Provided are a print head and an image forming apparatus. The print head, which selectively irradiates light to each pixel of an image on a photoconductor, the print head includes an illumination unit, which emits light, a liquid crystal layer, which transmits or intercepts the light incident from the illumination unit on a unit pixel basis according to an applied voltage, and a microlens array formed of liquid crystal polymer, which either focuses or does not focus the light passed through the liquid crystal layer onto the photoconductor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0126892, filed on Dec. 7, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a print head and an image forming apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to a print head having a liquid crystal polymer microlens array, and an image forming apparatus including the print head.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In order to form an image, a conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus scans light on a photoconductor charged with a predetermined potential, forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, develops the electrostatic latent image by supplying a developer (toner) from a developing roller spaced apart from the photoconductor so that the developer selec...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Patents(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B41J15/14B41J27/00G02F1/13
CPCB41J2/451B41J2/465G03G15/04
Inventor SEO, WOON-HO
Owner HEWLETT PACKARD DEV CO LP